03.28.07
Comments are hosed…
Just wanted to say that I know the comments aren’t working at the moment. We should have things sorted later this evening.
ETA 03/29/2007: Everything should be all better. Let me know if you have problems.
03.22.07
Latest Haul
The latest haul from Grand Mart…
The angel wing cookies were great (all gone, Honey, sorry.), and the black sesame candies are great. And who knew Pocky was corn-free?! At least this version is. Yay! E is getting really good at finding me fun treats that I can eat. What a guy!
Remember the Kids in the Hall skit “I Crush Your Head”? 
03.21.07
Packin’ Lunch
I’ve been fascinated with Obento lately, so I’ve been much better about packing lunch. Not only do I find myself thinking of new and interesting ways to pack things, I’m eating better and saving money!
I figure that if I bring my lunch one day, I save about $10 on average. Assume I bring my lunch to work 3 days a week on average, and I’m saving $1500 a year!
See more progress on: pack my lunch for work
03.14.07
Sugar, Sugar
This seems pretty common sense to me. Increased intake of sugar via soda and other soft drinks, to the exclusion of other liquids like milk and water = potential risk of diabetes.
I’m constantly amazed at what we have to be told, but I know it needs repeating.
03.08.07
Maxed Out
I’m really happy to see that in this age of massive credit card debt, that the topic is being brought out of the closet more and more. I read recently in Michelle Singletary’s “The Color of Money” column in the Washington Post, that:
The Commerce Department reported that the U.S. personal savings rate for all of 2006 was negative 1 percent, the worst since the Great Depression.
From July 1, 2005, to June 30, 2006 there were almost 1.5 million personal bankruptcy filings.
Credit card issuers have increased the number of mailed credit card offerings sixfold since 1990, from just over 1.1 billion to a record 6 billion in 2005. [The Census Bureau's 2006 estimate of the total population of the U.S. is just under 300 million.]
Revolving credit card debt, the amount you don’t pay off every month, increased 6 percent from $827 billion to $876 billion in 2006.
Low- and middle-income households have, on average, $8,650 in credit card debt. [I'd be interested to know what the actual range is. My guess is that there are some pretty high numbers at the top end.]
There is a movie opening this week, called Maxed Out, that has a lot of people talking. My impression is that it is Debt a la Supersize Me. I think it’s great that people are talking about what has been a taboo topic for so long. I mean, check out all of the blogs that talk about personal finance and debt!
I wish someone had started me thinking about budgets and personal finance when I was in high school… or even earlier. If I had thought about what credit cards could do to my financial life a little bit more, I would be in MUCH better shape now. It makes me think that I should put together a presentation and start knocking on school doors. I’m serious!
When is Loud, Too Loud?
When I can hear your iPod over my iPod and the rumble of the Metro, and you are standing several feet away from me. The salsa music is great, but there really isn’t enough room to dance in here, and the rest of the train didn’t choose to listen to that today.
Too Cute
E sent me this via email this morning.
He was enjoying some quiet time before a crazy day. I think Cleo is just trying to butter him up.
03.02.07
Steal My Lunch
I got the nicest compliment today:
“You know, if I were going to eat someone else’s lunch out of the fridge (and I wouldn’t, but if I did), I’d steal yours.”
I decided that was the nicest compliment I’ve received in a long time. I know, most people like to be told that they have nice clothes or nice hair, but I like it when people compliment my food. Don’t get me wrong, I like it when people compliment me on my clothes and hair, but to be complimented on my food is darned cool.
03.01.07
Weapon of Prayer
Y’all know that I’m not religious. I pretty much believe in karma and the fact that the people mean people will remove themselves from the world à la the Darwin Awards. That said, one of my favorite songs by my favorite groups (I WISH they’d done another album!) summed up my feelings today as I was driving home, listening to NPR.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you, Weapon of Prayer, by the Notting Hillbillies. Released on “Missing……Presumed Having a Good Time” in 1990, around the same time as the Iraq War):
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